Some really nice e-mails came in this past week from readers who enjoyed my cover feature about Cleveland's Rock And Roll Hall of Fame and Museum published in last Saturday's "ETC." section in The Times.
A few readers questioned "why" Cleveland became home to the $90 million-plus facility sporting three floors of rock and roll artifacts.
Though my original feature made mention of the reason, due to space limitations, it was edited out.
So let me briefly explain...
Other larger musical hubs -- New York, Los Angeles, and Memphis -- were considered but Cleveland was blessed with this magnificent music shrine primarily because of one man -- Alan "Moondog" Freed.
In Cleveland at WJW-AM, Freed was the first white radio disc jockey to ever play "race records" (as rhythm & blues singles were referred to at the time) by the likes of Little Richard, Chuck Berry, Jackie Wilson, Bo Diddley and others.
In Cleveland, Freed coined the term "rock 'n' roll" to label the sexually-charged music he dared introduce to white American teenagers.
In Cleveland, Freed booked, co-produced and hosted what became the world's first ever rock 'n' roll concert at the Cleveland Arena in March of 1952; dubbed "Alan Freed's Moondog Coronation Ball."
Even though Freed relocated in 1954 to New York's 50,000-watt station, WINS-AM, it was in Cleveland where Freed accomplished so many firsts, two years before Elvis even wandered into Sun Records studio in Memphis.
Alan Freed is a rock icon but also rock's first martyr. He was the first to suffer the slings and arrows of America's conservative right" and died young and penniless.
There is not a lot of archival film footage that documents Freed's accomplished career, but there are two films I recommend.
The first is the 1978 theatrical release, "American Hot Wax," with Tim McIntyre as Freed and costarring Fran Dresher and Jay Leno.
The second is the 1999 made-for-TV movie, "Mr. Rock And Roll: The Alan Freed Story," starring Judd Nelson as Freed, which is being released to DVD Tuesday.
There's also plenty of great, original music by many of early rock's musical architects.
Music notes
* Motorcyclists from around the Midwest are expected to converge at 3 p.m. today on VFW Post #1563 (6880 Hendricks St.) in Merrillville for the annual "Rally, Hog & Corn Roast" to benefit the VFW National Home for Children in Michigan.
The pre-ride event includes live music, vendors, free tent camping and more. A three-hour bike run pulls out at 5 a.m. Saturday. A $25 donation per bike includes Saturday's run and today's rally. Rally only is $10. FYI: (219) 769-1563.
The opinions expressed are solely the writer's. Reach him at beatboss@aol.com.
